Jury Convicts Self-Proclaimed "Professor Of Pot"

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — After a four-day trial, a jury convicted Daniel Dario Trevino, age 47, of Lansing, Michigan, on ten federal marijuana trafficking-related charges. The federal charges and convictions resulted from Trevino’s operation of marijuana dispensaries across the state of Michigan.

          Trevino was the owner of Hydro World, a marijuana dispensary that operated with storefronts in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Mount Pleasant, and Flint between 2010 and 2017. Trevino’s Hydro World operated far outside the boundaries of not only federal law but also the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. Trevino had prior drug felony convictions involving cocaine and marijuana. As a previously convicted drug felon, Trevino was only qualified to be a patient under state law, which allowed him under state law (but not federal law) to cultivate up to 12 marijuana plants and possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for his own use. Instead, Trevino cultivated thousands of marijuana plants and sold hundreds of kilograms of marijuana, generating sales of at least $2.9 million.

          Trevino’s Hydro World also provided a delivery service, where customers could call Hydro World in either Lansing or Jackson and have marijuana delivered to them at a place of their choosing. Trevino also leased space at his storefronts for other growers to sell marijuana, effectively creating a marijuana farmers’ market. Trevino’s storefronts and grow locations were searched by law enforcement at least sixteen times between 2010 and 2016. Despite having ample notice that what he was doing was illegal, Trevino always resumed his operations shortly after each search.

          “Marijuana remains illegal under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge. “Although Trevino has long claimed that what he was doing was legal under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, he was not even close to being legal and made a mockery of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act in the process. Trevino had ample opportunity to realize the illegal nature of his business under both federal and state law, given the number of times his operations were searched. He would not stop. Perhaps he will get a better understanding of the law behind bars,” stated Birge.

          Marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act. As such, it is illegal for any purpose under federal law. Due to the quantity of marijuana Trevino dealt, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a statutory maximum of 40 years in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Maloney will sentence him later this year. Trevino’s closest associates at Hydro World, Dolores Lopez, Daniel Corbin, and Daniel Bachelder, pled guilty before trial and have already been sentenced.

          Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel S. Fauson and Daniel T. McGraw tried the case. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tri-County Metro Narcotics Team (TCM), Jackson Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET), Kent Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (KANET), Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (BAYANET), Lansing Police Department and Flint Police Department.

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